MINNEAPOLIS Twins right-hander Liam Hendriks said he was "bummed out" when he learned that teammate Scott Baker would miss the 2012 season due to elbow surgery. But Hendriks also realizes the potential ramifications Baker's injury might have for him personally.
With Baker sidelined for the year, Minnesota will need to find another starting pitcher to fill his spot in the rotation. There's a good chance it could be Hendriks, who missed his first start of the season in Baltimore due to food poisoning but will start Sunday against the visiting Texas Rangers.
"It's definitely a huge opportunity for me. I'm looking forward to it," Hendriks said. "(When) I start on Sunday, I'm really looking forward to my first start of the year. We'll see how it all plays out, but I'm just going to go out there and do my thing and we'll see how it goes."
Hendriks' first start of the season could be an audition of sorts, as he and fellow right-hander Anthony Swarzak are Minnesota's two best options fo...

You'll
also
receive Yardbarker's daily Top 10, featuring the best sports stories from around the web.
Customize your newsletter to get articles on your favorite sports and teams. And the best part? It's free!

Company Info

Help

What is Yardbarker?

Yardbarker is the largest network of sports blogs and pro athlete blogs on the web. This site is the hub of the Yardbarker Network, where our editors and algorithms curate the best sports content from our network and beyond.